Depending upon the level of difficulty you choose to play, overpopulation affects your cities at different stages. In each city, a number of citizens are born content. Thereafter, the rest are born unhappy. The number born content are as follows. Difficulty Content Citizens * Chieftain 4 * Warlord 3 * Regent 2 * Monarch 2 * Emperor 1 * Demigod 1 * Deity 1 * Sid 1 Overpopulation can also result in starvation.